About us

OUR COMPANY

Travel Responsibly with Unforgettable Adventures

Traveling is our passion and we want to revisit those special places we call “ours” – and we want to find them in the same state (or better) as when we first visited them. Our Responsible Travel ethos is at the heart of everything we do, from respecting local cultures and the environment, to initiating projects that make positive contributions to local communities. On all our tours we strive to work in a socially and environmentally responsible way, giving our travelers a more authentic experience, whether it’s enjoying a homestay in a tribal village in the New Guinea Highlands or sleeping in small, family-run accommodation in Nepal.

OUR TEAM

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Kevin Mansfield
Kevin Mansfield has been an outdoor enthusiast in many countries for over 40 years. An Australian Whitewater canoeing champion, he represented Australia for over 15 years Internationally, developing his passion for traveling. Originally a Secondary School Physical education and Outdoor Education teacher, he founded his first successful Trekking company in 1996, operating along the famous Kokoda track (PNG).

His latest venture, Unforgettable Adventures, is a boutique adventure company developed with the aim of providing unique and unforgettable experiences.

He has trained many International Guides and developed local people in the many areas required to successfully and safely escort groups of Adventurers. These people are still employed today as Leaders, Guides, senior trek masters and logistics staff. He has crossed the Kokoda track over 50 times, taken many groups to Mt Everest Base Camp and provided lifetime experiences for people in many other countries. Kevin developed itineraries, fitness regimes, logistics and Risk Management protocols that several highly successful companies use today.

Kevin developed itineraries in several countries, including Papua New Guinea, Nepal, Borneo, Thailand, Vietnam and the remote Kimberley in Australia. His newest destination, Burma, will be an exciting addition to an already diverse range of itineraries.

In 2010 he founded Executive Stretch, a HR Personnel development company specializing in Leadership and Team building. A survival expert, he has trained paramilitary and military organizations, including the famous Gurkha regiment, in leadership, adventure skills and survival tactics in desert, alpine and jungle environments. He was an active member of the Victorian Emergency services (CFA), and worked in East Timor providing Emergency assistance to displaced peoples, under the then temporary administration of CNRT and Xanana Gusmao

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Kevin also leads many of our Kokoda Track historic and adventure treks. The initial motivation was his fathers involvement in Papua New Guinea during the 2nd World War. With over 50 crossings of the Kokoda Track , he is one, if not the, most experienced leader in the country. He has developed itineraries, risk management procedures and training regimes that many other companies are still using today. In 2008, he was a member of a small group that completed the first Coast to Coast crossing of Papua New Guinea from Buna to Port Moresby. He has re-discovered many tracks used during the war by both Australian and Japanese soldiers and has established an enviable reputation along the track with the local peoples.

Kevin’s passion for Adventure, and a desire to make your experience Unforgettable, has resulted in he and his team, becoming a well sought after group of professional leaders of treks in areas where you want someone who knows what they are doing.

LOGISTICS CO-ORDINATOR

Dan Vanderzalm
Dan has been a keen outdoor enthusiast for as long as he can remember. He has spent much of his life trekking through trackless back-country in the remote areas of Australia and has organized and led countless groups safely into these remote areas. Whether it be trekking,Climbing, skiing, motorbike or 4WDriving, his vast experience in looking after people is an asset to the Unforgettable Adventures team.

Dan has completed some of the worlds most recognized trails including The famous Kokoda Track in the wilds of Papua New Guinea; the remote and isolated escarpments of Australia’s North West Kimberley region and many of Nepal’s highest mountain trails such as Mt Everest Base camp, Cho La Pass, Gokyo Lakes and the Annapurna’s. He recently again summited Island Peak in Nepal, (20,300ft) to raise money for Autism Spectrum Australia. His passion to help and assist people can also be seen in his volunteering work as a firefighter in the Victorian emergency services, a position he held for over 10 years, with 4 years as a lieutenant, Strike Team leader and Incident controller. He is highly skilled in remote navigation, training large and small groups and has a passion for helping individuals realize their goals and dreams.

AUSTRALIA

As well as heading up our logistics section, Dan conducts many of the Kimberley trek and paddle adventures. His keen knowledge of the flora and fauna of the area and his exceptional navigation and leading skills will ensure any trip to this remote area is both rewarding and safe. Dan’s experience in the Australian environment ranges from the mountainous High country of Victoria in the south of Australia to the remote, arid regions of the far north. He has lead groups in trekking, skiing, climbing, bike and canoeing tours throughout many regions of Australia.
In Nepal, he has lead many groups to all of our well known destinations such as Everest Base Camp, Island Peak, Annapurna Base Camp and the Gokyo region including Cho La Pass.

With excellent communication skills, a love for what he is doing, and a significant skill set to match, Dan’s passion ensures the areas you visit, the roads you travel and the cultures you interact with, will provide the most memorable experience.

NEPAL/TIBET/BHUTAN/INDIA

Prem Khutri
Unforgettable Adventures Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet Operator. Born in a remote village, surrounded by lush forest and an endless chain of hills, under the stunning views of Mt. Manaslu and Mt. Ganesh, Prem has always been awestruck by the beauty of Nepal, which many take for granted. His attachment to nature inspired him to start a career as a trekking Sherpa, which led to many exotic places. After years of experience, he finally had the opportunity to become a guide, and used his knowledge and passion to venture deep into the Himalayas.

Unforgettable Adventure traveling, and its magnificent remoteness, instilled in Prem a sense of peace and enchantment. Prem was convinced that the mountains, the culture and the hospitality had the potential to transform his life. Prems professionalism, attention to safety and detail is what Unforgettable Adventures is all about. Sharing with the world his passion for travelling through the woods, over crevasses, along the laps of the mountains and the challenge and thrill of visiting places where no roads lead and no one but the most adventurous dare to tread. His dream, now a reality, has created a lifetime worth of memories and an incredible sense of accomplishment.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA;KOKODA

Mac Kennia
Mac is undoubtedly one of the characters of the Kokoda Track and is Unforegettable Adventures Head Guide. His local knowledge is unsurpassed and he has been an integral part of the team for many years. With Mac as your leader, you will be welcomed into every village with a smile. He knows the hidden places and has been instrumental in discovering new sites of significance. As you pass through pristine jungle and remote villages along this iconic track, Mac will enthrall you with his story telling, helping you forget about your tired limbs.

Cletus Wagiha
Cletus is our lead-man, and comes from the village of Oivi on the northern side of the Kokoda track in Papua New Guinea. His passion is to share his culture and ensure every one has an experience they will never forget. His wide smile, quick wit and never ending energy is a feature of this young man. We are privileged to have him as part of our Leadership team and although you will eventually forget how hard you worked to achieve your goal, you will never forget Cletus and his team.

THAILAND

Peerayos
Our head guide for our Northern Thailand operations Is Peerayos Untrakul or as he is more commonly called “Good”. He was born in Chiang Mai and has lived and worked in the surrounding area all of his life and has an excellent reputation amongst the local ethnic minority groups. He loves to play the guitar, sing songs, make jokes and, as you will find out, has a passion for Thai cooking! Good has been guiding for over 10 years and has provided our trekkers from all corners of the earth with Unforgettable Adventures. He has a BA in English and can converse in several languages.

Diving Operator – Charlie Lidureau
We are privileged to have one of the most experienced Dive Operators in Southern Thailand to provide your Unforgettable Dive Adventure. Charlie has more than 35 years of diving experience in Thailand and has been instrumental in opening many of the spectacular dive sites that exist in and around Southern Thailand in the Andaman Sea between Malaysia and Myanmar. He was the consultant diver on Jacques Cousteau’s “Calypso” during underwater filming ot “The Convicts of the Sea” in Phuket, Similan and Koh Surin Islands. He was a dive consultant for Tourism Authority Thailand for the first underwater IMAX movie to promote the Phuket diving as one of the worlds premier dive sites. Charlie is an avid environmentalist and you can be assured your Unforgettable Dive adventure will be safe, well organized, stunningly beautiful and most importantly, environmentally sensitive. Our crew has been handpicked and trained by Charlie to ensure you have the best possible experience on our Live Aboard boat.

Sea Kayaking/Jungle survival expert – Dave Williams
Dave has been described as a walking / paddling encyclopedia for Southern Thailand. He has discovered many of the beautiful areas Unforgettable Adventures now visit. A highly skilled paddler, he completed over 229 miles of the famous Colorado river in the Grand Canyon and many other well known Wild rivers in the eastern half of the USA. Regarded as one of the real characters in Phuket, Dave will ensure your adventure is safe, challenging (at the level you want), educational and most of all fun. He is a lifelong student of natural history, ornithology, paleontology and botany and he will impart his knowledge freely to you as you wander underneath the canopy of primeval rainforests or paddle underneath ancient rock-paintings engraved on the many cliff faces of Phang Nga bay. Dave is considered a Jungle survival expert and was the resident survival consultant to the Discovery Channels “Dual Survival”. There is no better person to be trekking in the jungle with than Dave. As with all Unforgettable Adventure operators, Dave has extensive first aid, rescue and instructors qualifications. He will ensure your experience is truly Unforgettable for all the right reasons.